Marsh fire at border of Middlesex, Monmouth counties burns 45 acres of land

MIDDLESEX COUNTY— A marsh fire along the border of Middlesex and Monmouth counties burned more than 45 acres of land and briefly closed a four-lane highway, but caused no property damage, officials said.

The fire started for unknown reasons about 7:30 p.m. in a section of marsh along the border of Old Bridge and Aberdeen near Route 35, said Lawrence Ragonese, a spokesman for the Department of Environmental Protection.

State forest firefighters, as well as personnel from surrounding towns, helped fight the blaze, initially protected a few nearby structures from the flames, Ragonese said.

Firefighters then changed their tactics and set controlled fires in many locations to create a perimeter around the main blaze, he said.

One firefighter was treated at the scene for minor injuries, Ragonese said.

At one point, police closed Route 35 for about an hour because billowing smoke blocked visibility and fears that flames might jump onto the highway, said Old Bridge police spokesman Lt. Carl Policari.